International Justice at the
Irish Centre for Human Rights and The Hague
2008 Exploration Seminar in Ireland & Netherlands

Program Director: Frederick Michael Lorenz, JD, LLM ~ International Studies
Dates of Instruction: August 25 - September 13, 2008

**THIS PROGRAM IS FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS**

>> Click here for more detailed information and the program's course website.

This program will be co-sponsored by the Irish Centre for Human Rights in Galway, Ireland; two weeks will be spent at the Centre in Galway before making a six day trip to The Hague.  The program will provide a firsthand study of the major international tribunals; the theme will be The Challenges of International Justice.  In Galway we will have a series seminars with Centre’s PhD candidates, and Professor William Schabas, one of the leading scholars of international criminal law and the International Criminal Court. There we will study the history of international justice, and how the international community works to promote justice and accountability for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. We will follow the history and recent developments at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR.) We will also learn about the so-called “hybrid courts” in Sierra Leone, East Timor and Cambodia, and the unique challenges facing those courts today.

Galway is an historic city and the gateway to the rolling hills of Connemara, there will be time for coastal hikes and a climb of Croagh Patrick, legend tells us it was here that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days and banished the snakes from Ireland. We will also make a three day trip to Dublin, with a focus on Irish legal history from the English period through Irish independence to membership in the European Union. There will be a visit to the historic Four Courts, the site of a bombardment by British artillery during the Easter Rising of 1916.  In Dublin we will have a first hand account of Ireland’s current role in international justice, including the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

In The Hague during our last week, visits will be made to the International Criminal Court(ICC), the ICTY and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICC began operation in 2002, but the United States has refused to participate for a number of reasons related to sovereignty and national security. The US has been a great supporter of the ICTY, and the Tribunal is winding down a successful series of prosecutions. The ICJ, sometimes known as the World Court, hears disputes between States and operates in the Peace Palace, an historic structure built largely with contributions from American financier Andrew Carnegie. The Hague is a truly international city with its own unique history, world class museums, and an efficient streetcar system with easy access to the sea.

Participants will receive five credits in of SIS 490 (Special Topics), EURO 399 (Europe Study Abroad) or CHID 471 Europe Study Abroad (I&S).  Participants should check in advance with their advisors to determine how these credits can count towards departmental requirements.

Student costs:  
Program Fee $3,700
$200 IPE Fee
Additional costs include: Round trip airfare to Europe, most meals, health insurance, and personal spending money.

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